Rediscovery
by persian85033
Summary: A Galactic wanderer stumbles across one of the Spacer worlds by accident. R & R.
1. Chapter 1

"Oh my!"exclaimed Valerie as she got up, and got into the captain's chair.

She readjusted the controls.

"Now I just have to find out where in the Galaxy this ship could have taken me!"she exclaimed.

She looked at the screen. None of the stars matched any pattern she was familiar with. She looked for the closest one. The ship was soon orbiting around that star.

_At least it's a place to begin with,_ she thought.

"I don't think it's any star that's been discovered yet!"she exclaimed, as she compared the background sky.

The star was a G-4, meaning there was a chance that there could be a habitable planet around it. It was a little colder than most of the stars that had habitable planets around them, but not very cold.

_Which probably means somebody's already discovered it before,_ she sighed.

However, there was no mention of a G-4 star in this part of the Galaxy, in all her reference books. Even on her computer.

"Maybe it hasn't been discovered after all."she said, her excitement growing bigger. "There's really only one way to find out. I'll have to see if there are any habitable planets that are still inhabited. Only the closest ones should be inhabited. So I'll start from the inside out."she decided.

She found the innermost world. It seemed to be habitable. As she approached it more, she noticed that it actually seemed to be inhabited. Or rather, that it seemed to have been inhabited at one time. She looked through her history books. There was no mention at all about the planet or its star.

"I've made a great discovery!"she exclaimed. "An abandoned planet, from the looks of it. Nothing about it whatsoever, but it certainly was inhabited at one time. I wonder why that's so."she wondered out loud.

She looked at the screen, and looked at the surface.

"I'll land."she said. "Or maybe...I'll land."she decided. "It looks like it has a breathable atmosphere, anyway. Water, everything. Why...? Well, I'll find out soon enough."

She landed on what looked like must have been the administrative center of a city. Or at least the administration building of something. A school? University? No, there were no other buildings around. Maybe it was just...a library? Out in the middle of nowhere? Well, the planet was out in the middle of nowhere, wasn't it?


	2. Chapter 2

On the moon, far from the planet where Valeria had landed, although not very far, a robot walked toward the establishment. R.Daneel waited to meet it.

"Someone has landed on one of the Spacer Worlds, Daneel."the robot said.

"The Spacer Worlds?"

"Yes, apparently, they got lost in space, and accidentally ended up in that planetary system. They chose to land."

"Which world was it?"

"Aurora. I looked through the background of this individual. She is apparently just a Galactic Wanderer, she hardly ever stays in one place for long. She seems to like to spend her life in space."

"Do you know what planet she comes from?"

"She is apparently from Asperta. At least she spend her early years there. She left the planet when she was seventeen, and has never returned since. She has spend her life in space. From one planet to another. As a tourist."

"Where does she get her funds?"

"Funds apparently have never been any problem for her."

"If, as you say, she doesn't stay on one world long, then, perhaps we shouldn't worry ourselves. Seeing that there is nothing of interest on Aurora, she will perhaps leave sooner than expected. And perhaps is likely to never return there."

"What if she should come across another Spacer world?"

"All the Spacer worlds are empty. She is not likely to find anything of interest there. I do not think it something we should trouble ourselves with."

The other robot nodded and left.

Valeria looked around the deserted landscape.

"There probably isn't a human being in sight!"she said out loud.

She had seen no trouble at the entry stations, something for which she was grateful. She always hated to have the people there inspect her ship, and ask her questions, and having to present her papers.

She walked across what seemed a lawn. The grass had obviously not been cut in years, probably. It was long, and reached almost to her waist.

"Someone must certainly do some maintenance around here! After all, if there are walls, that must surely mean that there were buildings! They were obviously man made! So, why would everything suddenly be abandoned, as though...I don't know, the people had fled."

She walked around. Some of the rooms had not come down completely, and the roofs were still intact, and she could see what they were used for. The one she entered first, was obviously a bedroom.

"I didn't know anyone would need so much room to sleep."she wondered.

She shuddered, thinking what it must be like to sleep in such a big room. She wandered into what seemed to be a library. She looked at the book films on the shelves. Reading the titles, she saw one that caught her eye. She looked around the whole section. Apparently, it was all devoted to the same subject.

"Hmm."

She took one, and blew the dust off.

"Robotics."she said out loud.

She had never heard such a word before. What could it mean? Could it be a condition? An illness? Maybe it was an epidemic that had wiped out the whole of the population? That certainly seemed like a possibility, for sure. After all, what other explanation could there be? An epidemic had wiped out the entire population of this planet, and for some reason, no one thought to investigate. Oh, well. But maybe it was a virus, or something? Perhaps native to this one particular planet, and now that she had stepped on it, she could be carrying it, to? No, ridiculous. She shoved that idea out of her mind. Impossible. Besides, there was only one way of knowing what the term meant, wasn't there?

She got out her viewer, and inserted the book film.

It took a while to read it, since it wasn't the same model, but she managed it.

Apparently the term robotics applied to something called robots. She couldn't believe her eyes. Artificial human beings? How could human being be artificial? Made of metal? Valeria didn't understand what most of the book film talk about. They had names beginning with R? A serial number? The Fifty?

She got other book films on the same subject to see if she could understand better. As she went through more and more book films, she learned that the planet she was standing on was or had been called Aurora, meaning dawn. It was the first of fifty worlds. Apparently, this was before the Galactic Empire had been established. Just fifty. A wave of settlers from Earth, it said, had established the fifty worlds, Aurora being the oldest and the strongest. After a time, these fifty worlds, and their inhabitants who called themselves Spacers, obtained their independence from Earth. They lived to be three hundred. Surely just tales. People couldn't live three hundred years. That was simply impossible. The worlds were kept with a certain population. And there were robots. Those artificial human beings that served the real human beings, their masters, and made life comfortable for them. The human masters did nothing other than be waited on by robots. The robots cooked, cleaned, kept watch, mined, looked after the livestock, any work that had to be done was done by robots. The masters simply...existed.

"That would mean..."Valeria began. "No...occupations. No...nothing. Just...for three hundred years, just...do nothing."she said.

She laughed, thinking what life would be like, if such a thing were possible. She shook her head. Perhaps in dreams, yes. Someone was certainly very imaginative to have written such a book film.

Another one explained what it termed as The Three Laws of Robotics, going over how the positronic brain fuctioned.

Although she didn't really understand much, she kept viewing. She went through more and more book films, until she realized that it was close to night outside. She shivered, as she felt the cold wind. She had been there for hours. She had better get back to the ship. After all, this was a deserted planet, and she could come back tomorrow. Everything would still be in the same place, after all. She made her way back to the ship.


	3. Chapter 3

"Artificial human beings..."said Valeria out loud.

She walked around what had once been a building. She came across what looked like a human corpse. That probably meant that the planet hadn't been abandoned long ago, if there were still human remains. Could this have been the very last person on the planet? And that was why the person hadn't been buried? Because there was no one to bury him? Or her? Walking closer, she saw that while it was shaped like a human, with arms, legs, a head, and torso, it was not a human being. She touched it, and it felt hard and cold. Metal. Or at least, rusted metal.

"So it was true!"she silently exclaimed to herself. "It...it was true? About the artificial humans? Metal humans?"she looked up.

If that was true...perhaps everything else was, too. About the three hundred years, everything. On this planet, there had been people who had lived three hundred years or more, and with artificial human beings to do all their work, they themselves only knowing...knowing what? Simply...living, she supposed. Then where they? What had happened to them? Surely, judging from what she had viewed, she could see that perhaps this planet was the most comfortable one she had seen yet. Simply doing nothing all day. She laughed. She knew several who must live like that, doing nothing. Only those were people's pets. Pets they kept for their company. People worked, people did everything. The pets simply...ate, and slept, and...lived. Only they never lived to be three hundred. Perhaps...maybe fifteen Galactic Standard Years. Some more, some less. But never three hundred.

"Maybe this one still works."she wondered.

She wondered how she could get it to work again. Perhaps it could tell her something interesting.

"I suppose the brain must be in the head."she muttered to herself.

Perhaps if she could get the brain out, maybe then, she might be able to find something interesting without having to repair the whole thing. Only how to get it off?she wondered.

"I'll have to unscrew it."she decided.

She spent the next three hours trying to get it off. When she finally did, she took the brain, or at least, what the book films had assured her was the brain of the out. She walked back to her ship, and placed it in front of her.

"Now, only how to get something to read it."she said, nodding.

She worked most of the afternoon, trying to get the computer to read it properly, when finally, it read the images properly. A face came up.

"Listen, Ariel,"the face said. "I must leave Aurora, and you cannot come with me."the woman said. "I cannot take any robots with me. Perhaps someday we may return to Aurora. We shall never forget it. It is the World of the Dawn. The Settlers are getting more powerful, and they seem to think that it was us the ones that have caused their Earth to become radioactive. We must leave Aurora. Some of us are going to Trantor."

Valeria turned it off. Aurora? Earth? Radioactive? Settlers? Well, there were settlers everywhere, she supposed. Every time a new planet was found, and terraformed, weren't the first humans settlers? And Trantor. Well, she knew about Trantor, it was the capital of the Empire of Trantor. Some people said it would soon become the capital of the Galactic Empire, but, oh well, she was sure that was off in the far future. There was only way to figure this out, of course. She would have to see more.


	4. Chapter 4

"So the people on this planet, this Aurora, went to Trantor. That's where they went! But why?"asked Valeria, as she lay in her hammock.

"Maybe the world didn't please them as much? After all, Trantor is the capital of the Galactic Empire, isn't it? Wouldn't anyone rather live on Trantor then some far off unknown world?"she asked herself.

"Of course."she answered herself.

She looked at drawing and pictures of what had been robots.

"Why dress them?"she asked, looking at the clothing the robots wore. "They're machines!"she exclaimed, throwing them up. "Machines that walk and talk. Just like people. Only machines, though."

She nodded. Although she didn't enjoy being on planets much, and she would long to be alone on her ship, every now and then, she did get lonely, and it was a pain to do some of the chores herself. She climbed off the hammock, and looked at the robot's brain.

"You know, Ariel,"she said. "You might just be right to take care of some of those chores and keep me company every now and then! We just have to get a new body for you, and make a couple of repairs. You were in a bad shape, but, oh, well, too bad, nothing that can't be fixed, anyway, so...let's get to work. I'll grab some more films if I need help."

Valeria jumped off her hammock, and got to work. In a week, with the help of the book films.she was looking at what was a new robot.

"Or at least, not brand new, but new. New body, old brain, think of it that way."she said.

They eyes lit up.

"Hello?"asked Valeria.

The robot looked around.

"Can you hear me?"Valeria asked again.

"Yes, madam."said the robot.

Valeria beamed.

"That means I did everything right, doesn't it? Your name's Ariel, isn't it?"

"Yes, madam."

"I like that. Madam. My name is Valeria, but to you, I'm madam."

"Yes, madam."

"Is that all you know how to say? Yes, madam?"

"No, madam."

"Again? Can you say anything else?"

"Whatever pleases you, madam."

"Wow. You aren't so ignorant, then. Can you do anything?"

"Yes, madam. I am a house robot."

"Good. Can you wash dishes, do laundry, cook?"

"Yes, madam."

"Excellent. Those will be some of your duties on this ship. I'll teach you other things as we go along. Right now, while I'm preparing to leave this planet, I took some of the book films with me, just in case, and we can always come back, place is deserted, anyway, well, we're leaving. While I'm doing that, you prepare dinner, all right."

"Yes, madam. Are we going to Madam Lemer?"

"What? No. I'm not sure where we're going, but definitely not to this Madam Lemer. Listen to me, I am your mistress now. Madam Lemer is gone. Long long gone. Are we clear on that?"

"Yes, madam."

"Good. Now I'll be in the pilot room. You take care of dinner."

"Yes, madam."

"Apparently, Daneel, she found nothing of interest on Aurora."a robot was telling Daneel. "She is leaving now with only a few supplies she picked up. That was probably why she landed, anyway. She imagined she would meet people to sell her supplies she probably needed aboard ship."

Daneel nodded.

"That is good. We must do something, however, to stop anymore people from landing on the Spacer Worlds. People must never land on them any longer, by accident."


	5. Chapter 5

"So, why don't you tell me about yourself, Ariel?"asked Valeria, as she drew a few cards.

"I am simply a robot, madam."

"I mean, about your life before...here. Before you met me."she said.

Ariel simply stared at her.

"A robot cannot be alive, madam. A robot merely functions."

"Well, tell me about your function before you met me."

"I lived on Aurora, madam. I was not able to function for some time, due to the fact that certain parts needed replacing, and there were no roboticist left on the planet, madam. Then you replaced the parts. My positronic brain, though, was in perfect functioning order."she said.

"Sort of like in a coma."

"I beg your pardon, madam?"

"Never mind, Ariel!"snapped Valeria. "Just pay closer attention to the game."

"Yes, madam."said Ariel, returning her attention to the cards in her hands.

"So what happened to you master? Or mistress?"asked Valeria.

"You are my mistress, Madam Valeria."

"I mean, before me."

"Then I was a house robot. I had fewer duties than I have here with you, but that is because you have only one robot, and that is myself."

"Well, you're more efficient than ten robots, if you want to know. You're my lady in waiting, everything."said Valeria. "How come you give the illusion of wearing clothes, even though I've noticed you don't?"

"My exodesign is that way, madam. Almost all Auroran robots are designed in this fashion."

Valeria nodded.

"Interesting. Is there any way in which it would be possible to change that design, Ary?"

"I am sure there is, madam."

"So, what happened to your master? You still haven't answered that question, Ary."

"The mistress fled Aurora. To another world called Trantor, I believe."

"Trantor. I know Trantor. Or at least I know about it, in a sense. So why did she flee? Was she a criminal."

"Madam?"

"You know, did she do something wrong?"

"My mistress never did anything wrong."

"Was she...chased by somebody, I mean, you know, someone who does something wrong by the law, that's a criminal."

"There are no criminals on Aurora."

"I'm sure there were. There are criminals everywhere. Trust me."

"I trust you, madam. But there were no criminals on Aurora."

Valeria shrugged.

"Oh, well. Get me my book-film. The one I've been reading, will you, Ary?"

"Yes, madam."

"And put it in the viewer. I'm going to view for a while, and when I'm done, I want you to tell me more about your old mistress. After all, it's not like you really learn anything new on the hyperwave, do you? Almost always the same thing. At least you tell different stories."

"I am glad that you enjoy what I have to say, madam."

"I'm glad, too."said Valeria.


	6. Chapter 6

"When my masters left Aurora,"Ariel was telling Valeria. "The mistress was only fifteen decades old."

Valeria spat out her coffee.

"Fifteen? You mean fifteen years, don't you?"she said.

"No, madam, fifteen decades."

"But that's, that's a hundred and fifty years! No one can live that long!"

Ariel looked at Valeria.

"Of course they can, madam. Aurorans could."

"Ariel, I didn't ask for a fairy story!"

"It isn't, madam."

"Then tell me the truth!"

"That is the truth, madam."

Valeria stared.

"Ariel!"

"It is the truth, madam."

"How is that possible!"

"All Spacers could live up to three hundred years or more. Earthpeople lived shorter lives. But they were subhuman."

"Earthpeople?"

"They were the one who bred disease."

"Bred disease?"

"Yes, madam."

"What are you talking about, Ariel? Okay, then, don't tell me about yourself, tell me about...Aurora. About the world in general."

"Yes, madam. Aurora was the first of the fifty Spacer worlds. It was originally settled from Earth, of course, but the Auroran masters didn't like to remember that they were descended from Earthpeople. They were Spacers. And the other Spacer worlds, were settled from Aurora or from Earth. They were settled using robots."she said.

"Robots? Like you?"

"Yes, madam. Robots were used to do the hard work that the master did not care to do. It was our duty."

"And all of your masters ran away?"

"They fled the planet, madam."

"Why?"

"The Settlers were gathering in large numbers."

"Settlers?"

"The short lived people from Earth."

"I thought you called them subhuman and Earthpeople."

"They were also known as Settlers, madam. My masters feared them."

"Oh. Why?"

'They bred in great numbers."

"That's what people do. They always breed in great numbers."

"Not my masters."

"Why not?"

"The Spacer worlds had stable populations."

"I guess all worlds do, in a way."

"But there were no such quantities of people. Such as on Earth. There were only a few million, perhaps."

"That's impossible!"


	7. Chapter 7

"Would your masters still be on Trantor, then, Ariel?"asked Valeria. "I mean, if they lived so long, then maybe they're still there?"

Ariel looked at Valeria.

"I do not know, madam."

"How did they...put up with living so long!"exclaimed Valeria. "Well, we can go to Trantor, anyway, if you'd like."

"We shall do whatever you think is most convenient, madam."said Ariel.

"Well, maybe if your masters did live that long, we could go over there, and find them, and...maybe I just might become rich, wouldn't I?"said Valeria, laughing.

On the moon

"It looks like the woman who landed on Aurora, has not left with nothing."a robot told Daneel.

"What do you mean?"he asked.

"It looks like she has taken a robot with her."

"But there are no functioning robots on Aurora."

"She apparently learned to reactivate one."


	8. Chapter 8

"Reactivate? How?"

"Perhaps from the book films."

"Do you know where she is heading?"

"Apparently, she seems to be heading no where in particular. Just wandering through space."

"But she must land on a planet. She cannot spend her life, wandering through space."

The other robot nodded.

"We shall keep a close eye on her."

"We must take the robot away, before she can land on any planet."

"Perhaps we could intercept her while she is in space."

Daneel nodded.

"Perhaps that would be best."

"You're certainly a better player than anyone I've ever played against."said Valeria, as she looked at the chess board.

"I am glad that it pleases you, madam."said Ariel.

"Uh-huh."said Valeria, as she moved her piece.

The alarm went off.

"That's odd. Where are we, Ariel?"asked Valeria.

"We are close in the Fili Sector, madam."Ariel said. "I think we are at least 20 parsecs from the nearest habitable stellar system. Would you like me to get full information, madam?"

"No, get information on whoever is trying to contact us at this distance."said Valeria, picking up a book film, to view while Ariel took care of the problem.

"Yes, madam."

"They wish to speak to you, madam."said Ariel.

"Why won't you do?"

"They said they wanted to talk to you. They will not talk to me. They said you landed on a forbidden world."

"I never landed on anything!"exclaimed Valeria.

"They want to come aboard the ship, madam."

Valeria looked at the robot angrily.

"What do they want?"

"I do not know, madam."said Ariel.

"Well, supposing they were bandits,or something, wouldn't you throw them off?"

"If they were harming you, yes, madam."

Valeria nodded, satisfied.

"Very well, then, let them in."she said. "We'll see what they want."

One man walked in.

"What do you want with my ship. As you can see, everything is in perfect order. If you want to see the papers, I want to see your license."

"I have not come to inspect your ship. I have simply come to take the robot, and everything else that you found on the planet Aurora."he said.


	9. Chapter 9

"What?"exclaimed Valeria. "You can't take anything from this ship! Ariel is mine! And besides, you can't say I stole anything, because there was no one there! Everyone fled!"

"I am aware of that."he said.

"Then if you are, then why are saying I stole anything?"

"Because you must not have robots."

"Why not?"

"Madam, that is not a man. It is a robot."said Ariel.

Valeria turned.

"What do you mean? Of course it's a man."

"No, it is a humaniform robot."

"A what?"

"A robot build to look like a human being."

Valeria looked confused.

"What do you mean, a robot build to look like a human being?"

"Such robots were build, madam."

Valeria looked even more confused.

"You're confusing me, Ariel."

"Your robot is right. I am a robot. I am Robot Daneel Olivaw."

"Well, you're confusing me even more, because you can't possibly give me orders, then."

"I obey the Zeroth Law above all the other Laws. And what you are doing will greatly harm humanity, by my allowing you to take the robot with you."

"I'm not hurting anyone!"demanded Valeria.

"You are hurting yourself, however, with the robot, you will be hurting all humanity, therefore, I must take it back to Aurora, and it must be deactivated."

"Why!"

"You yourself said that Aurora was abandoned. Do you know why?"

"They fled."

"The Spacers were a long lived society, with robots to do all the unpleasant tasks. They colonized only Fifty Worlds, no more. And they died out."

"What does that have to do with this?"

"The Spacers were completely dependent on robot labor."

"So?"

"I promised not to let that happen again. I must take this robot, and make sure no one ever goes near the Spacer worlds."

"And how do I know you weren't just send by someone to come and take the robot? I won't let that happen until you prove to me that what you're saying is true. I mean, you could just be making all that up, about the Spacers or whatever."

"He is right, madam."said Ariel.

"But you, you were alive back then. He wasn't. He could be brand new."

"I am not new. I am the first of the humaniform robots, constructed by Dr.Fastolfe and Dr.Sarton."

"I've never heard of either."

"Robotics is a forgotten science."

Valeria shrugged.

"I don't care how old you say you are. I don't believe you. Why should I?"

"You will believe me. If I tell you everything I have seen while I have been functioning."he said. "I will tell you everything. You must know everything, if you are to understand."


	10. Chapter 10

"And where are we going?"asked Valeria. "Where are you taking me?"she asked the robot.

They landed a few days later. Valeria climbed out of the ship.

"At last!"she said.

She looked around.

"It's certainly not like any world I've ever seen."she said.

"You have never been here."he said. "No human being has since the beginning of the settlement of the Galaxy."

"Is it another one of the Spacer worlds?"she asked. "It doesn't look anything like the one I landed on."

"This is not a Spacer world."he said. "We are no won Earth's satellite?"

"Earth's satellite? I don't know of any world called Earth."she said.

"Earth is humanity's original home."

He handed her a space suit.

"It is not safe for a human to go out into the moon's surface without a space suit."he said.

"No, thank you."said Valeria, shaking her head, and taking her watch out. "I'll use my watch instead."she said.

"Very well."

He led her out to the surface.

"You mean we were underground?"she asked.

"Yes. The side of the moon that we are on is now facing away from the sun. It will be days before the sun is present on this side."

He looked up at the sky, and pointed.

"That is Earth."

Valeria looked up.

"And we're circling it? But...it's not a gas giant."

"No. As I said it was the original home of humanity."

"We couldn't be standing on a satellite of a planet that human beings live on. Such satellites, only orbit gas giants."

"Earth was a unique world."

"But...there are world by the millions. None have a giant satellite. And I still don't really understand what you mean by the original home of humanity? You mean, like, a place everyone should visit? A resort? A...special place, like, like Cascade Valley?"she asked.

She remembered on her home world of Isis, almost everyone went to Cascade Valley, where Jody N'Kumo had been born, and had become President of the Isis Council. Although no one knew much about why Jody N'Kumo was so special, they said that he had saved Isis from dying at the hands of a villain, Mark London.

The robot looked at her.

"Yes. When the Settlers began to leave Earth, it was thought that everyone should return to visit the Holy World someday."

"Holy World?"

"It was the term the Settlers used for Earth."

"I've heard the term settlers. They said they were the first people on Isis. But there have always been people on Isis. It isn't any other way."

"For how long have there been people on Isis."

"Well, I was born on Isis. My parents were. My parent's parents. Their parents, and...and so forth. Everyone."

"Human beings did not originate on Isis."

"Well...there are human beings everywhere. However, I've never seen or heard of another planet where they have firestones...or hairy dragons...or, well a lot of things on any world other than Isis."she said.

"Yet human beings are not native to Isis."

"I am!"she exclaimed. "I was born on Isis!"

"As an individual, yes. But what about as a species? Are human beings native to Isis?"


	11. Chapter 11

"Well, they're native to other worlds, aren't they? Human beings are native to...every where."

"A single species, native to every inhabited world in the Galaxy?"

"Well..."Valeria remained confused. "I've heard of the possibility of humans originating on one world. Only one. But...that's...I mean, everyone knows that'd be...well, not likely."

"However unlikely, that is what happened. And that is the world where they originated."

Valeria stared at it, and shook her head.

"I see that you wear a watch that protects you from any harsh environment, and provides you with oxygen to breathe."

"Well, yes."

"They were I believe, invented during the settlement of the Galaxy."

Valeria looked at her watched.

"Well, you see, um, Isis does have a bit of a harsh climate, you know. Especially in the mountains, in the summers. Ra's light is unbearably hot, and, it's just the way it is. On some worlds, it's very cold, on others, warm, and, and so forth, you know. Every world is different. Isis just happens to be warmer. It's mostly a dry planet."

Daneel nodded.

"Although, well, there are some who say that once, only Cascade Valley was habitable. And human beings only lived in Cascade Valley. After a while, they spread towards the mountains, other valleys, and so forth."

"Yet part of the mountains tend to be unhabitable during certain parts of the year."

"Well, yes. They're quite beautiful, though. But of course, that's just...well, its' not possible for everyone to live in one valley. That's just things that people make up. And perhaps on Cascade Valley, because of the constellation in the western horizon. It's rather unimpressive, but it was very important to out ancestors. It told that summer was on its way, and the star at the bottom, they tended to find it rather...as a sign of a good harvest for the following year, if you know what I mean."

"You don't speak of Earth?"

"I just can't believe you."

"You perhaps speak of someone known as the Guardian. And almost all planets that were settled after Earth was radioactive were first settled by the Keepers of the Light."

"I know about the Guardian. And the Keeper of the Light, well, some say something good, and to some, very bad."

"Perhaps you should meet someone first."said Daneel, and he led her back inside.


	12. Chapter 12

Valeria walked inside. In front of her, stood a golden robot.

"You must be one of the Settlers."it said.

"No. I am from Isis."she told it.

It nodded.

"Yes. Yet, you do not have any resemblance to any of the Settlers I remember. Perhaps a bit to one girl, named Trudel."

"I've never met anyone by that name."

"No. She was before your time."

"And who is this robot?"she asked Daneel.

"He is DaCoP 23. Or better known as Guardian on your world."

"Oh! You mean the one who is good?"

Guardian nodded.

"But...that's just a story."

"It was not a story. I really do exist, although not in the sense that your people believe me to exist."

Valeria was confused.

"I am not a god, for one thing. Simply a machine. Most of the things which are acredited to me, were in fact, done by the Olwen, the Keeper of the Light, who was not evil, as your people believe, and even by Jody N'Kumo. Are the mountains still taboo to you?"it asked.

"No. You have to wear a force field sometimes, but not all the time."

The robot nodded.

"I am glad."

"But what do you mean by the stories are wrong?"

"I do not control everything in the universe."

"Of course not!"

"Yet the early Settlers believed me to."

"They were simply ignorant. That is all."said Valeria.

The Guardian turned.

"It was made to happen deliberately."


	13. Chapter 13

"People were made ignorant?"asked Veronica. "Deliberately?"

The Guardian nodded.

"By Mark London."

"Well, some people believe that to be a bad name. You don't meet many Marks today, much less Londons."she told him.

"I had guessed not. The Settlers must have been very angry by the fact that while he was president, he made Isis into what he wanted it to be, not what was best for Isis."

"You speak as though he were a real person."

"He was. I knew him when he was a boy, and the Settlers landed on Isis from Earth. I was the Keeper's Guardian."

"But, people only lived in Cascade Valley. The Keeper is buried in Bamboo Valley."

"Then you still look after Olwen's grave."

"Of course. No one is allowed to go there. Some people say it's haunted and misfortune will fall upon you, others because they say it is good, or something about that. I say they should just leave it alone, because it is so old. Although some want to dig up the remains to see if there really is someone there. Some people don't believe there is, see."

"But they mustn't do that! I asked Moira Flynn to look after Olwen's pool and her grave."

Valeria shrugged.

"Oh, well...I'm not sure. I don't know that much about history."

"Of course, if you forgot so much."

"But are you really the Guardian?"

"Of course."

"Wow. You should come back to Isis with me!"said Valeria. "Everyone would be so excited to see you. Can you imagine! The Guardian! If I were to bring back the Guardian."

"No."said Daneel firmly. "No one must ever know about the Guardian's existence. It must remain here."

"But it's part of history."

"The Settlers will simply think that the Guardian is something of a god. That must not be allowed to happen.


	14. Chapter 14

Valeria listened to the robots.

"You mean, all that was actually true?"she asked.

"Of course."

"But..."

Valeria sat still, thinking.

"Well...if that's so. I've never been to Cascade, or Bamboo Valley!"she exclaimed. "I want to see for myself now. Will you come with me?"she asked.

Daneel nodded.

"Of course. Guardian cannot come, because he is not humaniform in appearance."

"But I would like to have Guardian come."

"I would like to see Isis again."said Guardian, looking up at Daneel.

"I know!"exclaimed Valeria, and she climbed back into her ship.

When she came out, she was carrying a small watch.

"It's simple! See, it's a disguise. No one will think twice!"she exclaimed.

"Very well, then we will go to Isis."


End file.
